Tag Archives: Wine

Grapevine’s 10th Annual ChocolateFest

This past weekend, Grapevine held the 10th Annual ChocolateFest, a fundraising event benefiting Travelers Aid Dallas/Ft. Worth. Like many of their annual events, this one was fantastic and not one to miss! The event is split into two days, Friday was an evening of Chocolate and Wine at Delaney Vineyards and Winery and Saturday was Chocolate and Art in historic downtown Grapevine.

I had the privileged of attending Friday’s Chocolate and Wine at Delaney Vineyards and Winery. Upon entering, we were given a wine glass, two tickets for 5 ounce samples of Delaney’s delicious wines (try the Sweet Red!) and a box for our chocolates. Many local Chocolatiers, Bakeries, Restaurants and more were on hand to provide some of their finest chocolates. Granted, we were given a box to place our treats in to bring home, but who were we kidding, these chocolates were not going to leave the building!

Toffee Treats

Gourmet Apples and More, Brio Tuscan Grill and I Heart Muffins Bakery.

There was also a silent auction benefiting Travelers Aid Dallas/Ft. Worth. Travelers Aid’s mission is to assist those traveling through the DFW airport. This includes providing assistance during crisis or transition events and to those who have been separated from their families or need additional support. Have you ever lost an item while at the airport? These are the same folks that come and save the day!

The silent auction consisted of multiple items including airfare for two, gift baskets and signed memorabilia from musicians, actors and even astronauts!

This is a great event for a date night, girls night or even with a group of friends. Sampling exquisite wine and chocolate paired with appetizing hors d’oeurves and live music is a great way to spend any evening. We saw many people taking in the beautiful sunset and enjoying the company of their friends and loved ones on the grounds of the vineyard.

If looking for a less formal event or even something for the entire family, check out the Chocolate and Art on Saturday.

Chocolate and Art
Bring the entire family to Saturday’s event to enjoy:
Samples from local Chocolatiers, Bakeries, Restaurants and more…
Art exhibits and sales.
Contests and celebrity judging.
Children’s activities.
Live music and more!

If you were unable to attend this year’s event, be sure to stop by some of the participating businesses in Grapevine. Bakeries, restaurants, even Delaney’s Vineyard and make a day experiencing what Grapevine has to offer. Most importantly, mark your calendars for next year. This even has something for everyone and is not one you’ll want to miss!

GrapeFest 2013 – The Largest Wine Festival in the Southwest

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Disclaimer: I did receive free general admission tickets in return for this post. All opinions are my own.

In the past, I’ve been a huge fan of the events in Gvine, Texas but this one has got to be my number one favorite! GrapeFest is an annual festival that exemplifies the wine industry in this area. Whether you are looking for a family friendly, couples getaway, girls weekend or even if you live in the area, this is a great event to check out!

Obviously, this event is for wine lovers (hence “GrapeFest”) but it incorporates so much more! An amusement park for the kids, live music, beer tent, champagne tent, an immense amount of food, vendors, unique stores and restaurants and it is situated right down Main Street in one of my favorite towns in the country. (To provide perspective, have you ever seen those Hallmark movies where it seems like these people are from the coziest, small town ever where everyone is incredibly nice and you think to yourself, “I want to go there!”… this is how I describe Grapevine!)

Throughout GrapeFest, magnifying glasses were placed on street lights. This was actually a scavenger hunt for the festival! If you completed the hunt (via cell phones), you would be entered to win a prize after GrapeFest. Pretty fun! You can also see the (people) traffic at the festival Saturday afternoon. Perfect weather and just the right amount of folks! It was amazing!

PicMonkey Collage5

GrapeFest also had a ton of exhibits going on throughout town. One of my favorite and most interesting spots to check out is Vetro. This is a glass blowing studio where they make a ton of beautiful art pieces. They held an open house where visitors could walk in and check out their craft. Pretty interesting!

The Wine!

As mentioned, Grapevine is known for being a wine destination. With a ton of different wineries and tasting rooms situated throughout town, you will have a difficult time running out of options!

GrapeFest hosted a free bus for wine tours to three different. Amy and I took this option up as one of our “must’s” for the day. Cross Timbers Winery was our first stop (below). What was even more interesting is that this winery is located at a historical site in town and is also apparently haunted. Mixing all things into one!

Although there are wine tasting options set up throughout the festival, the real tasting happens at the People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic. I later referred to this as “Speed Dating with Wine”…. and it was the greatest event ever!

If coming to GrapeFest, this is an absolute must! For an additional $20, be sure to put the ultimate wine tent on your to do list! With various hour and a half time slots set up throughout the weekend, your mission is to explore various wines from throughout the state. You will be given a commemorative glass and a booklet describing the wines available from the wineries (each set up at a different booth). At the end of your time slot, fill out a form and select your favorite wines from throughout the day!

A list of the winners can be found, here.

At first, I was a little discouraged that I had an allotted schedule of time to try out what was available but it’s really a smart move. There’s plenty of time. Amy and I (arrived a little late) but ended up trying 60 wines in about an hour and fifteen minutes (30 each, we tried each others). The lines move quickly and it’s a great experience chatting with those around you to compare what you liked best!

Next up, was a little old fashion grape stomping! (Yes, we moved from the wine tent to the grape stomp contest!) We learned there is a trick to this, but I’m not going to share it considering – what fun would that be?! It’s unfortunate that we don’t have a video of ourselves doing this but it was a lot of fun! Be sure to sign up early, it’s a popular event!

The festival proceeds well into the evening, where the crowds pick up and things really get interesting. With five different stages set up throughout the entire day, entertainment is always plentiful. The headlining band on Saturday was Le Freak, a local cover band who really captured the crowd!

GrapeFest is an incredible festival for all ages and groups of folks. There’s so many events that go on throughout the weekend, I didn’t come close to listing them all (so be sure to check out their website)! This was perhaps the most fun I’ve ever had at a festival. If you have an opportunity to check out the event, I highly suggest it. You can’t go wrong!

Have you ever attended GrapeFest? I’d love to hear what you thought of the event!

Northern Vermont Wine

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The fall season is a great time to visit Vermont, but there’s so much more to do than look at the foliage! One of my new favorite things to do is to try out new wines. Between Texas and Vermont, the difference in wines is amazing so I’d like to share with two vineyards that I had the pleasure of trying while I was in Vermont!

East Shore Vineyard

(Disclaimer: Please note, I did receive a free tasting at East Shore Vineyards for my review. As always, all opinions are my own.)

East Shore Vineyards is located in Grand Isle but has a tasting room conveniently located on beautiful Church Street. The tasting room is a great opportunity to try out wine without having to go out into the country, a quick stop, before or after a meal or just swing on in during the afternoon.

The atmosphere is comfortable and relaxing. You’ll have the opportunity to taste a few wines and review some of the local products, which they showcase. While I was visiting, they introduced me to their “Ice Wine”, which is definitely something that Texas lacks in the wine department.

Ice Wine is made on the third coldest night at the third coldest hour. The frost on the grapes is a huge component to the making of the wine. One pound of grapes literally makes only drops of the wine. The process is amazing but so isn’t the taste!

There is a small fee for tastings. Bottle prices ranged from $16-$25.

Due North Winery

Due North Winery is located little farther north and situated in Franklin, Vermont. If traveling throughout Vermont’s dairy farming community, near Lake Carmi or to/from Canada suits your fancy, this is a location that you must place on your “To Do” list!

This winery has been producing wines for only the past two years and is fairly new! The delicious wine, scenic views and overall location in itself will make the trip worth the while (and the owners are incredibly nice)! There’s a great selection of wines to choose from!

Due North provides free tastings on the weekends. Their hours are selective – please check their website or Facebook page for the latest updates.

All of the wines from both locations were fantastic. I literally enjoyed every single one! Has anyone been to either Due North or East Shore? Any favorites?